Kurotsuchi.
No. No. No.
I slightly turned my head to Airi, but her face also had a blank, surprised expression.
Mr. Takeda continued, "Well, she'll also be assisting with counseling and student wellness matters."
Shizuka-sensei smiled, "It's nice to meet all of you."
Then her eyes moved across the room and stopped on me.
For a split second, I felt my spine straighten.
And for some reason, I hated it even more.
She was a danger.
Pure adult danger.
The first half of the day passed in complete silence.
I couldn't focus on class. But Airi was acting normal, which was somehow more suspicious than her usual cold manner.
Very now and then, I caught her glance at me as if waiting for me to look at her.
And I didn't. Because I'm a coward.
At lunch, I escaped to the hallway, hoping to avoid conversation.
This was, of course, a foolish plan.
"Ren."
And by that, she found me.
Then she stepped closer. "You still haven't answered me."
"About what?"
"You know."
"I'm currently in shock from the situation."
"That's not a real condition."
In the calmest possible tone, she said, "You need today's saliva."
I almost choked to death on air.
"Can you not say that in a school hallway?"
"No one heard."
"That's not the point."
She glanced around and said, "Come with me."
There are few sentences in human history that have led to a good life. But this was not one of them.
I wanted to object, but before I could, she lightly caught my sleeve and pulled me down the hall aggressively.
"Airi," I whispered, "where are we going?"
She didn't answer and gave me a death stare.
"Okay, no worries."
After a while, she stopped at the door. And when I looked up, there was a big sign written on the board.
"FEMALE WASHROOM"
I immediately regretted being born.
I stared at the sign. Then at her. Then back to the sign.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"There is no one inside."
"That does not improve the crime level of this situation."
She opened the door and peeked in.
And looked back at me. "Clear."
"I am not entering the girls' bathroom because of zombie shit."
"Sh, sh, you are being too loud."
"Because this is mad."
And then, before I could say anything, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside.
The door clicked shut.
"This is how false accusations of sexual harassment are established," I said.
Airi ignored me and immediately checked under the stall to see if someone was there or not, like a professional government inspector.
"Safe."
"That word is kind of reassuring once in a while."
She turned back to me. In the quiet washroom, both girls and boys standing next to each other.
That thought is far too intimate for my mental health.
Airi moved closer and closer.
When there was no gap between her lips and my nervous breathing, she said, "Let's get started."